Microwave push-on connectors



Allg- 15, 1967 L. R. BARKER 3,336,566

MICROWAVE PUS H-ON CONNECTORS Filed Feb, l, 1965 INVENTUR. LESTER R.- BARKER his ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,336,566 'MICROWAVE PUSH-0N CONNECTORS Lester R. Barker, New Brunswick, NJ., assignor to Electronic Standards Corp. of America, Plainfield, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 429,418 6 Claims. (Cl. 339-143) This invention relates to connectors for microwave circuit components and, more particularly, to a new and improved push-on microwave connector which effectively eliminates signal leakage.

In microwave circuit apparatus, it is often convenient to provide connectors of the push-on type where rapidity and ease of the connect and disconnect operation is desired. In such connectors, however, there is an inherent signal leakage problem resulting from the small gaps which must be provided between the corresponding circuit conductors of the two halves of the connector, in order to facilitate the connect and disconnect operation. Even though these gaps are very small, a substantial portion of a microwave signal can leak through the gaps and escape to interfere with the operation of other adjacent components.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved microwave connector which effectively overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved push-on connector which effectively eliminates signal leakage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved isolation ring for a microwave connector which blocks signal leakage between the corresponding conductors in the two halves of the microwave connector.

These and other objects of the invention are attained -by providing in a microwave connector having two cornponents, each including a central conductor and a peripheral condu-ctor completely surrounding the central conductor, a continuous, resilient, peripheral, electrical contact member, electrically connected to the surrounding conductor of one connector component and positioned to resiliently engage the surrounding conductor of the other component. To eliminate leakage, the resilient contact member is arranged so that any openings or gaps therein which are necessary to provide resilience are covered with electrically conductive material. In a preferred embodiment, the resilient member comprises two adjacent elements having spring lingers, the two elements being positioned so that the `boundaries between adjacent spring fingers in each are covered by the fingers of the other.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a representative microwave connector arranged according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the resilient electrical contact member used in the connector of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the typical microwave connect-or illustrated in FIG. 1, .a tubular-type conductor, such as coaxial cable 10, is joined to a conductor of rectangular cross-section, such as stripline 11, by a push-on connector 12. To form the connector 12, the coaxial cable has a central pin-receiving plug 13 which is preferably provided with slots 14 to facilitate resilient engagement of a pin, the plug 13 being electrically connected to the central conductor of the cable 10. Surrounding the plug 13 is a tubular metal projection 15 which is electrically connected to the outer conductor 34 resiliently engage the 3,336,566 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 of the coaxial cable and is held in substantially concentric relation with the plug 13 by an insulating ring 16. The interior wall of the tubular projection is slightly tapered inwardly toward the cable 10.

The portion of the connector 12 which is attached to the stripline 11 consists of a rectangular block 17, which is joined to the stripline by two clamp plates 18 and 19, and which has two concentric circular bores 20 and 21 forming a passageway through the block. A central pin 22, held concentrally in the passageway by two insulating rings 23 and 24, is connected to the central conduct-or 25 of the stripline by .a tab 26, the rings 23 and 24 being clamped in the bore 21 by the base 27 of a metal contact sleeve 28 attached to the block 17. The metal contact sleeve 28 has a plurality of longitudinal slots 29 extending inwardly from the open end so as to be slightly resilient, and its diameter is selected to permit resilient engagement with the inner wall of the tubular member 15 so as to provide electrical contact between the outer conductors of the two microwave connectors components 10 and 11. Moreover, the pin 22 has a projection 30 shaped to engage the plug 13 to .provide electrical contact between the center conductors of the two microwave components. It will be noted, however, that it is impossible to provide a completely closed connection between the members 15 and 28 and still have the desired resilient engagement, and this lack of complete enclosure results in signal leakage in conventional microwave connectors.

In accordance with the invention, therefore, the connector includes an isolation ring 31, consisting of a support ring 32 mounted in the block 17 and a resilient contact member 33 mounted in the support ring, as by brazing, and extending continuously around the contact sleeve 28 in spaced relation thereto so as to provide continuous engagement with the outer surface of the member 15. In this way, the isolation ring resilient member insures a completely closed metallic connection extending entirely around the connector so as to effectively prevent any signal leakage.

To provide the completely closed connection, the resilient contact member 33 comprises, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, two strips 34 and 35 of resilient metallic material, such as beryllium copper. These strips are formed with inwardly bent contact fingers 36 and 37, respectively, and are inserted on inside the other, the strip 34 being outside of the strip 35. Moreover, the relative positions of the spring fingers 36 and 37 are arranged so that the boundaries 38 between the fingers on the outer strips are directly over the center portions of the fingers 37 of the inner strip 35 and, since t-he inner fingers 37 are in contact with the outer ngers 36, the boundaries 38 are completely covered with respect to leakage of electrical signals.

As ybest seen in F'IG. 2, the combined strips 34 and 35 are formed into a ring andthe junction lines 39 and 40 between the ends of the strips 34 and 35, respectively, are located in angularly spaced relation and each is positioned to run along the center of a lfinger of the other strip. Accordingly, no leakage can occur through the junction between the ends of each strip. Finally, the dimensions of the fingers 36 and 37 are selected so that, when the strips are shaped into the ring shown in FIG. 2, the edges of the lingers are closely `adjacent and the adjacent edges of the fingers at the innermost ends 41 are in contact, thereby preventing any leakage at those points.

In operation, the .push-on connector 12 is connected by urging the contact sleeve 28 into the tubular member l15, thereby forcing the pin projection 30 into the plug 13. As the end of the tubular member 15 passes into the isolation ring 31, the tips of the fingers 36 of the outer strip outer surface of the member 15 providing a continuous peripheral contact with that member. Inasmuch as the two strips 34 and 35 cooperate to avoid any opening between the interior of the connector and the outside, no signal leakage is possible. Exemplary of the performance of the arrangement described herein, is the fact that 120 db or greater isolation may be 0btained by the use of the resilient contact member in the manner described.

Although the invention has been described herein with reference to a specific embodiment, many modifications and variations therein will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, all such variations and modifications are included within the intended scope of the invention as dened by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A microwave connector comprising a first connector component having a peripherally continuous outer conductor, a second connector component adapted to be joined to the first component and having a peripherally continuous outer conductor shaped to surround and engage the exterior surface of the outer conductor of the rst connector component when the two components are joined, and a resilient peripherally continuous contact member electrically connect-ed to the outer conductor of one of the connectors and positioned to resiliently engage the outer conductor of the other component when the two components are joined, the resilient contact member being completely closed to prevent electrical signal leakage from the interior of the outer conductors when the components are joined.

2. A microwave connector according to claim 1 wherein the resilient contact member includes a plurality of spring fingers for resiliently engaging the outer conductor of the other component, and a plurality of electrically conductive elements covering the boundaries between adjacent spring lingers.

3. A microwave connector according to claim 2 wherein the resilient contact member comprises a tirst strip of conductive material having a plurality of spring lingers projecting laterally from the strip along one side thereof, the strip being held in end-to-end relation to form a peripherally continuous member.

4. A microwave connector according to claim 3 including a second strip of conductive material `disposed in endto-end relation and the plurality of electrically conductive elements comprises a plurality of spring ngers projecting laterally from the second strip along one side thereof.

5. A microwave connector according to claim 4 wherein the first and second strips of conductive material are formed into a circular, resilient contact member and the pluralities of resilient fingers project inwardly toward the `second connector component.

6. A microwave connector according to claim 5 wherein the innermost ends of the adjacent resilient fingers of the rst strip are substantially in contact along their adjacent edges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1957 Canada.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, W. DONALD MILLER,

RICHARD E. MOORE, Examiners. 

1. A MICROWAVE CONNECTOR COMPRISING A FIRST CONNECTOR COMPONENT HAVING A PERIPHERALLY CONTINUOUS OUTER CONDUCTOR, A SECOND CONNECTOR COMPONENT ADAPTED TO BE JOINED TO THE FIRST COMPONENT AND HAVING A PERIPHERALLY CONTINUOUS OUTER CONDUCTOR SHAPED TO SURROUND AND ENGAGE IN EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE OUTER CONDUCTOR OF THE FIRST CONNECTOR COMPONENT WHEN THE TWO COMPONENTS ARE JOINED, AND A RESILIENT PERIPHERALLY CONTINUOUS CONTACT MEMBER ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO THE OUTER CONDUCTOR OF ONE OF THE CONNECTORS AND POSITIONED TO RESILIENTLY ENGAGE THE OUTER CONDUCTOR OF THE OTHER COMPONENT WHEN THE TWO COMPONENTS ARE JOINED, THE RESILIENT CONTACT MEMBER BEING COMPLETELY CLOSED TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL SIGNAL LEAKAGE FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE OUTER CONDUCTORS WHEN THE COMPONENTS ARE JOINED. 